1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a wire harness arrangement of a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to a wire harness arrangement for electrically connecting electric devices mounted on a control value unit of an automotive automatic transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of wire harness arrangements of the above-mentioned type is shown in the SERVICE MANUAL titled "AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE RL4F02A TYPE" issued from NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD in 1984.
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, the wire harness arrangements of the publication will be described withe reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B of the accompanying drawings, which arrangements are associated with an over-drive solenoid and a lock-up solenoid of the control valve unit of an automatic transmission, respectively.
FIG. 5A is a partial plan view of a control valve unit of an automatic transmission and FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along the line VB--VB of FIG. 5A.
In these drawings, denoted by numerals 15 and 23 are upper and lower bodies of the control valve unit 10 and 11 are covered wires trailing over the surfaces of the upper and lower bodies 15 and 23, 12 is a retainer for retaining the wires 10 and 11 to upper body 15. 13 is connector mounted to upper body 15, 14 is an over-drive solenoid mounted to the lower body 23 of the valve unit. 16 is a transaxle case. 17 is a control valve cover. Each covered wire 10 and 11 comprises wires received in an insulating sleeve made of TEFLON (trade name) or the like. The retainer 12 has two spaced clips 12a and 12b by which the wires 10 and 11 are gripped. Each clip 12a or 12bis equipped with harness protector made of rubber. As is seen from FIG. 5B, the wires 10 and 11 from the connector 13 extend behind the lower body 23 and lead to the over-drive solenoid 14.
FIG. 6A is a view similar to FIG. 5B, but showing a position where covered wires associated with a lock-up solenoid 25 are arranged, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along the line VIB--VIB of FIG. 6A.
In these drawings, denoted by numerals 18 to 22 are wires which extend from a connector 13' mounted on the upper body 15, go around lower body 23 and lock-up body 24 and lead to the lock-up solenoid 25. The lock-up solenoid 25 is mounted on the lock-up body 24. Denoted by numeral 12' is a retainer for gripping the wires 18 to 22. Denoted by numeral 22 is a bracket which is bolted to the upper body 15 for retaining the wires. Although not shown in the drawings, some of the wires extend to another electric device.
However, the above-mentioned wire harness arrangements have the following drawbacks due to their inherent arrangements.
First, as may be understood from FIGS. 5B and 6A, the arrangements tend to provide the wires with unsightly dangling portions. This is because of inevitable difference in length of the naked end portions of the wires, which are to be welded to the electric devices. It sometimes occurs that such dangling portions get between the transaxle case 16 and the control valve cover 17 inducing breaking thereof.
Second, due to usage of the retainers 12 and 12' by which the wires are tightly gripped, vibration of the wires, which occurs during movement of the associated motor vehicle, tend to concentrate a considerable stress on the gripped portions of the wires. This induces also breaking of the wires.
Third, if the harness protectors on the clips 12a and 12b of the retainers 12 and 12' are contaminated with oil, the gripping function of the clips becomes poor. In this case, the wires tend to slip out of the clips.